Abstract

Coolers serves the clientele with a variety of chilled beverages and is favorite attraction among consumers of varying demographs. But these manned machines have there own share of issues with payment and time-consuming age-old beverage dispensing technique. Consumer inclination towards cold beverage challenges the beverage companies to make more user friendly products keeping time and cost optimal.

 

Over the years, the global food and beverage landscape has been undergoing fundamental change driven by macro demographic trends, technological advancements and ever-evolving consumer expectations.

For Millennials who are always multi-tasking, digitalization was a quicker & convenient medium for carrying out payment transfers and buying commodities. In a fast moving world, time is of essence. People hate to waste time queuing up to get their preferred merchandize.

 

Current Drawbacks of the Coolers

Time consuming product-consumer interaction

Issues in cash management & data security

Replenishment of products is not ensured time to time

The customer cannot review chillness of bottle prior to dispensing

Product infringement issues as retailers would keep other manufacturers products in the cooler.

 

Can there be a solution for these issues while providing a far more better customer experience and track this misappropriate use of machine?

 

PepsiCo is at the forefront to adopt and implement technology to make a far more superior and thrilling product.

 

Pepsi I-cooler- Next gen Grab N Go coolers

I-Cooler is a smart technology-oriented cooler and incorporates dual advantage of being a combination of Vending Machine and conventional coolers. This cooler is provided with a big screen at top for advertisement and information display that highlights the product amongst the competition. This Cooler adopts IOT and Artificial Intelligence which provides transformative opportunities to the traditional retail industry and boosting the profitability. These technologies facilitates hassle free and frictionless customer experience while securing operation of product that makes it customer friendly for use.

The Cooler also provides high level data security and secure payment system which is growing concern with use of online transactions.

 

Benefits of IOT

Nowadays entire world is moving around IOT (Internet of things) for the faster way of communication. IOT ecosystem consists of web-enabled smart devices that use embedded processors, sensors and communication hardware to collect, send and act on data they acquire from their environments. IOT made it possible for beverage companies to closely monitor their machines at various places even while sitting in their own office. Demand supply tracking is made much easier to avoid non availability of product at any point of time to avoid consumer dissatisfaction.

 

Benefits of AI

The AI based systems are capable of human-level identification of the products kept in I-cooler. This is made possible by advanced electronics and high-powered processing units. This makes it possible for the coolers to be kept in unmanned places.

 

Consumer engagement and enhanced experience

The captivating design of the I-Cooler attracts the consumer towards it in a far more better way than the market competition. The buying process is as follows:

 

Consumer scans the QR code or swipe the card on door to access the beverage bottle.

While the consumer reaches to take the bottles, the advanced AI based system comprising of 2 auto defrost cameras captures the user behavior of the bottles being taken out/replaced and calculate the expense.

It then displays total amount on the LCD screen with the selected beverage bottle/s.

Consumer can feel the product and check if its chilled enough to his/her liking, and replace the product as per their will. This action will be tracked by the AI systems and updated accordingly in the buyer’s list.

Also, consumer can make use of dedicated application for reviewing his/her purchase and make the payment.

Each transaction gets reported to retailer for seamless inventory management of I-cooler.

 

Features of the product

 

Meeting consumer demand

Quicker bottle delivery process, hassle free & secure payment via QR Code / Mobile/Credit-Debit cards

Consumer can physically touch & experience the chillness of product and purchase it once satisfied

High level of Data security

Hassle free product replacement with automatic alteration of cost in single use

 

Attractive & Retrofit design

Existing coolers can be converted to I-coolers with retrofitting kit which can be neatly integrated using rust proof material.

Designed with big screen on top for real time payment display and advertising

Clear visibility of glass door engages consumer to the products inside

Attractive lights at side of the door & magnetic door locking

 

Retailer Benefits

Excellent Inventory Management –Automatic Tracking by the AI software for real time monitoring of beverage refilling process

Excellent capability to track shoppers behavior and other data analytics for Sales Forecast.

Full access and automatic indication to application registered retailers or maintenance persons

Cloud based platform to manage device and it’s operation

Avoiding Infringement as it doesn’t pass any unnecessary cost to consumer and ensures only Pepsi products are billed